Antietam

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Firaxis reveals the latest in its new Civil War series...and a bloody time was had by all.

By IGN Staff

On September 17, 1862 the Army of the Potomac under General George McClellan clashed with the Army of Northern Virginia under General Robert E. Lee. By the end of the day approximately 23,000 American soldiers were dead. It was the bloodiest day in all of American history. Although technically a draw on the battlefield, Antietam spelled the end of the Confederacy. Other battles may have been more decisive, but Antietam will always be known as "The Bloody Day." Soon Firaxis will give you a chance to relive those bygone, carefree days in game form.

Today we got a chance to sit down and talk with Firaxis head honcho, Jeff Briggs, and producer/designer Mike Ely. And although Jeff is from Alabama, he insists on calling this game Antietam instead of Sharpsburg--the more appropriate title. I guess what they say about the winners writing the history books are true. Anyway, Jeff says the goal is to "make the Civil War fun, and the best way to do that is in real time." No more of that messy turn based stuff for us. No sir.

Sid Meier's Antietam builds on the engine that made Gettysburg such a success. It's combination of real-time strategy and detailed but intuitive interface have won loyal fans. The combat is all based at the regimental level on a fully rotatable 3D, contoured battle map. The map is incredible. Not only is it one of the most faithful, contoured reproductions of an actual battlefield I've seen. It's also pretty good looking in its own right.

It's also the second in the heretofore top secret Sid Meier's Great Battles Series. Jeff says that Antietam is "just the beginning" for these games. Both Jeff and Mike were willing to speculate a little on what the third game might be. Chancellorsville? Bull Run? We'll just have to wait and see. I also tried to talk the guys into adapting the engine for Napoleonic Era battles, but I didn't get too far. Maybe you could pull some strings.

But it's not exactly the same old engine is it? Of course not. Don't be silly. It's been tweaked and it's been changed. There are now new line-of-sight algorithms--but who cares about that? Actually, the LOS codes are pretty impressive. The new and improved Command Bar is beautiful in its simplicity. While there's a lot of flexibility to the system, finding your way around the controls is very easy--more so than in most games this dense.

The game features over 20 new scenarios spread out over the whole battle. You can play the opening moves as they play out over Miller's Cornfield or focus on the final stages as the Confederates drive Burnside back from the bridge. The scenarios include both full and half-day battles. The scenarios have ending "windows" so you won't know just when the battle will be over. Each scenario also includes 6 or 7 pseudo-historical variants to spice up the action a little. The variants will basically focus on the timing of reinforcements and the placement of units. No alien invasion type variants or AK-47, "Guns of the South" thing happening here.

There's also a random scenario generator included in the game. You can set the level of combat anywhere from small skirmishes to large battles. There isn't going to be a scenario editor exactly. You will be able to edit the text of some of the game files to create your own games, but most gamers are a little wary of that. An in-game editor seems like a natural for this game--even if it's just for placement of units. Mike says that a lot of fans want an editor, so they may add one later in a free update.

The game also comes with several brand new terrain types. Miller's Cornfield is covered in cornstalks. Once your troops trample it down, it turns into stubble, You'll also find plowed fields, bridges, fords and embankments. The sunken road, now known as the Bloody Lane, automatically functions as entrenched terrain for all units. It was here that the forces under Sumner and D.H. Hill shot it out for three and a half hours. In that quarter-mile stretch over 5,500 Americans died. That's more than died in the entire 8 years of the American Revolution

Another really exciting new thing is the variety of troop uniforms. No longer will all soldiers be forced to wear the same outfits. How embarrassing it must be when they go to parties. The Zouaves especially are a joy to see on the screen. There will also be a unique look for (among others) Sharpshooters, Louisiana Tigers, Ragged Confederates and the Irish Brigade. The nicknames for the units are all accurate too--and almost every unit has one. Unit dispositions and performance are also based on extensive historical research.

And what would a Civil War game be without piles of dead infantry? The combat model has some great points but it also has some drawbacks. First off, the new fire effectiveness bars make understanding the action very easy. These bars, cones really, extend out from the attacking unit to the defending unit. The width and brightness of the bar indicates the level of damage being inflicted. Wide and bright, die you might. Thin and dark..., well, I can't come up with a good rhyme for that one. There's also a numerical value displayed within the bar so you can see exactly how much damage you're doing.

Sadly there's no smoke from gun volleys. For me that's a big part of the 19th century battlefield. Jeff said it tended to obscure the player's vision too much, but I think that's my point too. After a few volleys, gunfire was even more inaccurate. If the smoke isn't going in, at least the decrease in marksmanship ought to. Misfire for both rifles and cannon are in the game. Even the best percussion cap rifles failed nearly 20% of the time.

Melee is also possible, although bayonet use in the war was never very decisive. Bayonets usually forced the issue, but the battle had been decided long before the troops came within striking distance. When you order a unit to charge another, you're expressing tremendous confidence that you're going to win. There are only three options once melee is engaged. Either you win, you lose or you retreat. And if you retreat, well, that's just as good as losing in my book.

Troop movement is also a lot smarter. First off, units will only move through towns in column formation. And they will only cross Antietam creek at one of the fords or bridges on the map. Makes sense. The various terrains will also affect the movement speed of your troops. Troop formations are also more intuitive. You can choose from column (for fast movement), line (for battle) or skirmish (for when you've lost all hope). Additionally, you may attach nearby troops to a commander. They will form up in any of the three formations and, as an extra bonus, you can wheel these formations left or right as needed.

The historical commanders are all here. For the most part, the commanders are all exactly alike. The only difference between them is their command range. Each commander has a sphere of influence. Although you can control any units on the field, you may not order a charge or fall back command unless the unit is within a commander's sphere. Commanders also influence the morale of nearby units. Other factors that influence morale include being near other units or being within a treeline.

Success in Antietam is measured in terms of Victory Points. Points are awarded for casualties inflicted and objectives held. Victory points also have a new use in this game. They can be used to "purchase" units. Now, you're not actually "buying" units here. You're activating them. If Jeb Stuart's cavalry are inactive at the start of the game, you may spend VPs to bring them into the action. The VP cost is usually pretty high, so make sure you'll get a good return on your investment.

But what about the cannons and cavalry, I hear you asking. Those IGN sponsored ESP experiments really seem to be having an effect on me. Now all that probing is finally paying off. There are six types of artillery in the game-from the deadly Parrots to the, well, also deadly Napoleons. Cannon will fire now into the edges of forests. No more sneaky keeping the troops just inside the tree line. Cannons can also be equipped to fire canister shot. Very useful for anti-personnel type work. There are also cavalry in Antietam, but as in the larger context of the Civil War, they aren't terribly important. Although cavalry did play a decidedly important role at Antietam, most cavalrymen at the time were simple dragoons--men who rode into battle on horseback, but dismounted to fight.

As an added bonus, the game comes with a copy of Ezra Carman's previously unpublished memoirs of the battle. Carman was the Commander of the 13th New Jersey Volunteers. He compiled several other first hand accounts of the war. This massive manuscript has lain in the National Archives for years. Now Civil War historians will have a chance to get their hands on a copy of it. On the scenario screen you also be able to see a hypertext map display and rotatable photographic views of the actual battlefield.

So when will Antietam be in stores? In a word, never. Although the game is slated for an October release, it will only be available on the Firaxis website. Hopefully, there will be enough visibility on this title for it to get a shot in the marketplace. I think it really deserves one. Hardcore Civil War gamers are definitely the target audience for this game, but I hope that more casual gamers will get a chance at playing this one. It has a lot to recommend it.